This website is archived and available through May, 2016.
CDC discontinued the Pediatric and Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance Systems (PedNSS and PNSS) at the end of 2012. These program-based surveillance systems monitored the nutritional status of low-income infants, children, and women in federally funded maternal and child health programs. The most recent annual national PedNSS and PNSS data tables available on this website are for calendar year 2011.

What is PedNSS/PNSS?
What is PedNSS?

The Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS) is a child-based public
health surveillance system that describes the nutritional status of low-income
U.S. children who attend federally-funded maternal and child health and
nutrition programs. PedNSS provides data on the prevalence and trends of
nutrition-related indicators.

Data Sources

PedNSS uses existing data from the following public health programs for
nutrition surveillance:

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC);

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)
Program; and

Title V Maternal and Child Health Program (MCH).

A majority of the data are from the WIC program that serves children up
to age 5.

Data Collection

Data on birthweight, short stature, underweight, overweight, anemia,
and breastfeeding are collected for infants, children, and adolescents
from birth to 20 years of age who go to public health clinics for routine
care, nutrition education, and supplemental foods.

Surveillance Reports

The PedNSS provides nutrition surveillance reports for the nation
defined as "all participating contributors" as well as for each
contributor. A contributor may be a state, U.S. territory, or tribal
government. Each contributor can receive more specific reports by clinic,
county, local agency, region, or metropolitan area.

Goal

The goal of PedNSS is to collect, analyze, and disseminate data to
guide public health policy and action. PedNSS information is used for
priority setting and the planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating specific
public health programs.